Method of producing hinokitiol-containing material for improving living environment

ABSTRACT

In preparing a hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material including a porous particulate matter having pores into which an oil extracted from a tree containing hinokitiol is adsorbed, there are carried out a mixed liquid preparation step including mixing the extracted oil with an alcohol, an adsorption step including mixing the porous particulate matter with the resulting mixed liquid to allow the mixed liquid to be adsorbed into the pores of the porous particulate matter, and an alcohol removal step including removing an alcohol component from the mixed liquid adsorbed into the pores of the porous particulate matter. By carrying out these steps, the adsorption of the extracted oil into the porous particulate matter and the operability thereof can be improved.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a residential environment improving material which is applicable to building material, building coating, underfloor laying material, spraying preparation and the like and which exercises such effects as a vermin-proofing effect, antimicrobial effect, chemical substance eliminating effect and relaxing effect.

BACKGROUND ART

Heretofore, termite damage to buildings has become a serious problem. Generally, the termite is well known to eat wet wood materials preferentially. Now, the termite is becoming known as a kind of vermin having such high omnivorousness as to eat and damage wood materials as well as concrete, earth, rubber, vinyl materials, foamed resins and the like, to say nothing of cloth and paper. Such termite damage is becoming more and more serious all over the world irrespective of whether in Japan or abroad and whether the climate is wet or dry. Once a building material undergoes termite damage, the building material is eaten away to such an extent that the building material is rendered hollow inside, with the result that the structure of the whole building becomes weak. As a countermeasure against the termite, a method has been employed of spraying or applying a synthetic chemical preparation, a natural chemical preparation or the like onto prospective places at which the termite is expected to make nests, such as underfloor places and concrete foundations. With such a method, however, the termite exterminating effect does not continue for a long time and, hence, there arises a problem that the chemical treatment need be effected repeatedly at predetermined time intervals, which requires much labor and increased cost. Some of such chemical preparations may contain organic compounds that are harmful to humans, pets, livestock and the like and hence need to be used carefully. Thus, damage to health due to such chemical preparations is possible. Particularly, underfloor places are places which collect and accumulate moisture and hence permit easy proliferation of vermin such as mites and miscellaneous germs such as mold, as well as termites. It has been pointed out that there also arises a problem that such vermin and germs cause a building to decay bodily or do damage to the health of residents of the building. Further, liquid preparations generally need to be put in a tank or the like for storage and transportation, so that handling thereof is inconvenient.

Buildings of today having high stream-tightness tend to collect and accumulate humidity in their rooms because of their stream-tightness. For this reason, such buildings not only permit easy proliferation of mold and mites but also raise a serious problem that the health of residents is damaged due to sick house syndrome caused by volatile organic chemicals (VOC) such as formaldehyde used in the so-called “new building materials”.

Under such circumstances, a material is being desired such as to provide various effects including exterminating effect against termite and mite, antimicrobial and antiblastic effect and harmful chemical eliminating effect without doing harm to human bodies, animals and environment, continuously over a long term.

It is said that Japanese buildings that are constructed using specific wood materials, representative of which are Aomori thuja (Aomori hiba) and Chamaecyparis formosensis, do not permit easy proliferation of vermin such as termite and mite and of miscellaneous germs such as mold. Use of hinokitiol, which is extracted from such a tree as Aomori thuja and Chamaecyparis formosensis, has recently been found to be effective as a vermin-proofing and antimicrobial measure against termite and the like and as a countermeasure against sick house syndrome and the like.

This approach is to make effective use of hinokitiol's actions including a vermin-repellent action against termite, mite and the like, VOC-eliminating (neutralizing) action, antimicrobial action against mold, MRSA and the like. Further, hinokitiol has been found to be effective in relaxing humans and animals by its aroma.

If a liquid containing hinokitiol, such as hiba oil extracted from Aomori thuja (Aomori hiba), a liquid preparation comprising diluted hiba oil, or a solution of purified or synthesized hinokitiol, is applied or sprayed as it is, hinokitiol volatilizes rapidly and, hence, the effects of hinokitiol cannot be expected to continue over a long term.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been made focusing on a porous particulate matter as a carrier capable of carrying a hinokitiol-containing liquid over a long term with gradual release of hinokitiol and intends to provide an advantageous method of preparing a residential environment improving material comprising the carrier carrying such a hinokitiol-containing liquid.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of preparing a hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material comprising a porous particulate matter having pores into which an oil extracted from a tree containing hinokitiol is adsorbed, the method characterized by: mixing the extracted oil with an alcohol; mixing a porous particulate matter with the resulting mixed liquid to allow the mixed liquid to be adsorbed in the pores of the porous particulate matter; and removing an alcohol component from the mixed liquid adsorbed in the pores of the porous particulate matter.

Because the extracted oil has a very high viscosity, the extracted oil, as it is, is hard to be mixed with the porous particulate matter uniformly and cannot not be sufficiently adsorbed deeply into pores of the porous particulate matter. What is more, the resulting mixture is muddy and hence is difficult to handle. In view of such inconvenience, the method of the present invention includes the steps of: previously mixing the extracted oil with an alcohol to obtain a mixed liquid having a low viscosity; and then mixing the mixed liquid with the porous particulate matter by agitation or the like. These steps make it possible to obtain an easy-to-handle mixture as well as to allow the mixed liquid to penetrate deeply into the pores of the porous particulate matter. The method further includes the step of eliminating the alcohol contained in the mixed liquid adsorbed in the pores, because the alcohol is an unnecessary component for the hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material as the final product.

The alcohol used in the mixed liquid is desirably a low-viscosity alcohol such as methanol, ethanol or isopropanol. Even though the alcohol component is removed at the final stage of the preparation process, use of an alcohol that will do little harm to the human body is preferable because the hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material is used at a place close to a human residential space. Ethanol, in particular, is relatively easy to procure and handle and hence can be most suitable for use in the present invention. When an industrial alcohol is used, a faint amount of impurity is expected to remain. For this reason, use of an edible alcohol is preferable.

The porous particulate matter is, for example, one selected from a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, an artificial ceramic particulate matter, a zeolite particulate matter, a hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance. A mixture comprising plural ones of these particulate matters may be used.

Preferably, the volume ratio of the extracted oil to the alcohol in the mixed liquid ranges from 50:50 to 80:20. However, the mixed liquid need not necessarily have this composition, and the ratio can be appropriately determined in view of the ambient temperature and the cost effectiveness. The weight ratio of the mixed liquid to the porous particulate matter is preferably ranges from 10:90 to 20:80. Like the composition of the mixed liquid, the composition of this mixture may be determined to have a different ratio than aforementioned in view of the cost effectiveness.

Since it is desired that the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid be separated from excess mixed liquid at the alcohol removal step, the mixture comprising the particulate matter and the excess mixed liquid may be filtered to remove the excess mixed liquid. In order for the hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material in a dried condition where only the hinokitiol-containing extracted oil is adsorbed into the pores of the porous particulate matter to be obtained more rapidly by rapid removal of the alcohol, the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid is preferably subjected to drying in air or drying by blowing warm air to volatilize the alcohol for removal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating a process for preparing the hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material according to the embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material (hereinafter will be abbreviated as “residential environment improving material”) 1 according to this embodiment. The residential environment improving material 1 has a structure comprising a porous particulate matter 2 as a carrier, the porous particulate matter 1 having a multiplicity of pores 21 distributed from the surface to the inside, and an extracted oil 3 adsorbed and held in the pores 21 of the porous particulate matter 2, the extracted oil 3 being a product obtained from a tree containing hinokitiol. Specifically, this embodiment employs “hiba oil” extracted from, for example, Aomori thuja (Aomori hiba) which is a tree containing an abundance of hinokitiol, as the extracted oil 3. (Hereinafter, the extracted oil will be referred to as hiba oil.) As the porous particulate matter 2 there can be used a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, artificial ceramic particulate matter, zeolite particulate matter, hydroxyapatite particulate matter, a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance, or a like matter. This embodiment employs the diatomaceous earth particulate matter. Diatomaceous earth, which resulted from deposition of fossilized phytoplankton (diatom) in the bottom of sea or lake, is a particulate matter which comprises silicic acid as a major component, which has a particle size of about 50 micrometers and which is ultraporous with a multiplicity of micropores of about 0.1- to 0.2-micrometer diameter all over the surface and inside thereof. Diatomaceous earth has a moisture-conditioning property and hence has been attracting attention as a “breathing material”. Diatomaceous earth is often used for a wall material or the like in particular and has properties and structure which ensure various useful functions including incombustibility, heat-insulating property, condensation-preventive function, moisture-conditioning function, breathability, deodorizing function, waterproofing function and air-cleaning function. This embodiment employs a diatomaceous earth particulate matter calcined under a heating environment at 500° C. to 1000° C.

Description will be made of a method of preparing the residential environment improving material 1 with reference to FIG. 2. Preparation of the residential environment improving material 1 includes three major steps: mixed liquid preparation step S1, adsorption step S2 and alcohol removal step S3.

First, at the mixed liquid preparation step S1, hiba oil 3 and alcohol 4 are mixed at a volume ratio of 1:1 to prepare mixed liquid 5 comprising hiba oil 3 and alcohol 4. This embodiment employs oil extracted from Aomori thuja containing hinokitiol as the hiba oil 3. This extracted oil can be obtained in the following manner for example. As the hiba oil 3 there is used an oil-soluble component of a liquid obtained by applying high-temperature and high-pressure steam to finely pulverized wood chips, bark, branches and leaves, and the like of Aomori thuja, the oil-soluble component containing hinokitiol in abundance. The extracted oil may be obtained from Aomori thuja in a different manner than described above. Similar extracted oil can be obtained from a tree containing hinokitiol in abundance such as Chamaecyparis formosensis used instead of Aomori thuja. Though it is possible to use a solution of chemically synthesized hinokitiol in a lipophilic organic solvent as a substitute for the extracted oil, use of extracted oil obtained from a natural tree is preferable since the residential environment improving material is to be used at a place very close to a human's living area. On the other hand, this embodiment employs edible ethanol having a low impurity content as the alcohol 4. The volume ratio between the hiba oil and the alcohol in the mixed liquid need not necessarily be set to 1:1, but may be appropriately varied so that the resulting mixed liquid 5 will have a suitable viscosity and that the cost will become proper, with the ambient temperature and the like taken into consideration.

At the next adsorption step S2, diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2, which is the porous particulate matter, is mixed with the mixed liquid 5 obtained at the above-described mixed liquid preparation step S1 to allow the mixed liquid 5 to be adsorbed into pores 21 of the diatomaceous earth particulate matter. Though the weight ratio of the mixed liquid 5 to the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 to be mixed together ranges from 1:9 to 2:8 for example in this embodiment, the proportion of the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 may be increased. In order to raise the speed at which the mixed liquid 5 is adsorbed into the pores 21 of the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2, mixture 6 of mixed liquid 5 and diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 should be agitated with an appropriate agitator 8 or the like.

At the subsequent alcohol removal step S3, alcohol (edible ethanol) 4 is removed from the mixed liquid 5 adsorbed in the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2, to obtain the residential environment improving material 1 in a dried condition. Specifically, in this embodiment the alcohol removal step S3 includes two steps: filtration step S31 and drying step S32. First, at the filtration process S31, mixture 6 comprising diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 having adsorbed mixed liquid 5 and excess of mixed liquid 5 is filtered with an appropriate filter 7 to obtain only diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 having adsorbed mixed liquid 5. Recovery of excess mixed liquid 5 as filtrate makes it possible to reuse it in the next preparation of residential environment improving material 1. It should be noted that the filtration step S31 is unnecessary when the mixed liquid 5 is entirely adsorbed into the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2. The diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 having undergone the filtration step S31 is dried at the subsequent drying step S32, to remove alcohol 4 finally. At that time, only the alcohol (edible ethanol) 4 of the mixed liquid 5 adsorbed in the pores 21 is removed either by volatilization through air-drying or by forced volatilization under application of warm air at about 30° C. to about 40° C. Attention should be paid to this operation so as not to volatilize hinokitiol together with alcohol 4. Since the mixed liquid 5 obtained by dilution of hiba oil 3 with alcohol 4 is low in viscosity and stickiness, handling of the mixture at the drying step is very easy and the intended dried material can be obtained in a short time.

The above-described steps can give the residential environment improving material 1 in a dried condition in which only the hiba oil 3 containing hinokitiol is adsorbed in the pores 21.

The residential environment improving material 1 thus obtained can be used in the following applications for example.

In the case where a mixture of the residential environment improving material 1 and a common resin paint for building coating is used to coat the surface of the concrete foundation of a building or the surface of a pillar, outer/inner wall or the like, hinokitiol contained in the extracted oil retained in the pores of the diatomaceous earth particulate matter volatilizes and diffuses gradually to exercise a high termite-repelling effect. Thus, such an application of the residential environment improving material 1 can serve as an effective countermeasure against termite. When such a paint comprising the residential environment improving material 1 is applied over an indoor wall as an undercoating treatment before covering the indoor wall with cloth, such an application gives rise to various effects including not only the termite-repelling effect but also a mite-proofing effect, antifungal effect, antimicrobial effect, VOC-eliminating effect on formaldehyde and the like, atopic dermatitis relieving effect and relaxation effect.

A high protective effect against entry of termite can be exhibited when the residential environment improving material 1 is used either alone or as mixed with earth, sand, or colemanite, which is said to have a termite-proofing effect, at a predetermined ratio as a spraying preparation to be sprayed over the soil before construction or when the residential environment improving material 1 is packed in an air-permeable pouch and used as a laying material to be laid in an underfloor space of a building. Alternatively, mixing the residential environment improving material 1 with a cement material as a chief material of concrete for foundation before forming the concrete foundation is also effective in the same sense as above.

Other examples of useful applications include: incorporating the residential environment improving material 1 into an expandable building material, which is used as a heat- or sound-insulating material in recent buildings; mixing the residential environment improving material 1 with plaster or diatomaceous earth to be used for wall surface finish; and incorporating the residential environment improving material 1 into such a material as rug, carpet or tatami mat. Particularly where the residential environment improving material 1 is used indoors or at a place close to an indoor space, such an application can be highly expected to give rise to a termite-proofing effect as well as various effects including a mite-proofing effect, antifungal effect, antimicrobial effect, VOC-eliminating effect, atopic dermatitis relieving effect, and relaxation effect by virtue of aroma.

In summary, in any one of the above-described applications of the residential environment improving material 1, hiba oil 3, particularly hinokitiol contained therein, emanates gradually from the pores 21 of the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2 and, hence, the effects of hinokitiol can be enjoyed over a very long term. What is more, since the diatomaceous earth particulate matter 2, itself, exercises a humidity-conditioning effect by adsorbing moisture contained in air into its pores 21, this effect also can be ensured for a long term.

It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. For example, the porous particulate matter may be selected from an artificial ceramic particulate matter, zeolite particulate matter, hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance, other than the diatomaceous earth particulate matter. Other features including the ratio of components of the mixed liquid, mixing ratio between the mixed liquid and the porous particulate matter, and the specific method for removal of alcohol, may be varied or modified variously.

Industrial Applicability

According to the present invention having been described above, in preparing a residential environment improving material by allowing a hinokitiol-containing extracted oil having a high viscosity to be adsorbed into pores of a fine porous particulate matter, the extracted oil is mixed with alcohol to lower the viscosity thereof, followed by removal of the alcohol. Such a method makes it possible to enhance the adsorption of the extracted oil to the porous particulate matter as well as to make the extracted oil easy to handle. Moreover, the method does not permit alcohol to remain in the final product. Further, the hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material thus obtained easily and inexpensively can be provided as an inexpensive secondary product capable of satisfactorily exhibiting the effects of hinokitiol. 

1. A method of preparing a hinokitiol-containing residential environment improving material comprising a porous particulate matter having pores into which an oil extracted from a tree containing hinokitiol is adsorbed, the method characterized by comprising at least: a mixed liquid preparation step including mixing the extracted oil with an alcohol; an adsorption step including mixing the porous particulate matter with the resulting mixed liquid to allow the mixed liquid to be adsorbed into the pores of the porous particulate matter; and an alcohol removal step including removing an alcohol component from the mixed liquid adsorbed into the pores of the porous particulate matter.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the volume ratio of the extracted oil to the alcohol in the mixed liquid ranges from 50:50 to 80:20.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the mixed liquid to the porous particulate matter mixed at the adsorption step ranges from 10:90 to 20:80.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol removal step includes filtering a mixture comprising the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid and excess mixed liquid to remove the excess mixed liquid.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol removal step includes subjecting the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid to drying in air or drying by blowing warm air to volatilize the alcohol for removal.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol is edible ethanol.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the porous particulate matter is one selected from a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, an artificial ceramic particulate matter, a zeolite particulate matter, a hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance.
 8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of the mixed liquid to the porous particulate matter mixed at the adsorption step ranges from 10:90 to 20:80.
 9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the alcohol removal step includes filtering a mixture comprising the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid and excess mixed liquid to remove the excess mixed liquid.
 10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alcohol removal step includes filtering a mixture comprising the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid and excess mixed liquid to remove the excess mixed liquid.
 11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the alcohol removal step includes subjecting the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid to drying in air or drying by blowing warm air to volatilize the alcohol for removal.
 12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alcohol removal step includes subjecting the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid to drying in air or drying by blowing warm air to volatilize the alcohol for removal.
 13. The method according to claim 4, wherein the alcohol removal step includes subjecting the porous particulate matter having adsorbed the mixed liquid to drying in air or drying by blowing warm air to volatilize the alcohol for removal.
 14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the alcohol is edible ethanol.
 15. The method according to claim 3, wherein the alcohol is edible ethanol.
 16. The method according to claim 4, wherein the alcohol is edible ethanol.
 17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the alcohol is edible ethanol.
 18. The method according to claim 2, wherein the porous particulate matter is one selected from a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, an artificial ceramic particulate matter, a zeolite particulate matter, a hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance.
 19. The method according to claim 3, wherein the porous particulate matter is one selected from a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, an artificial ceramic particulate matter, a zeolite particulate matter, a hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance.
 20. The method according to claim 4, wherein the porous particulate matter is one selected from a diatomaceous earth particulate matter, an artificial ceramic particulate matter, a zeolite particulate matter, a hydroxyapatite particulate matter, and a composite particulate matter comprising any one of those particulate matters and an organic polymeric substance. 